The Evolution of Ethan Poe

Robin Reardon

This book can be downloaded and read in Apple Books on your Mac or iOS device.

Description

In the space of a few months, sixteen-year-old Ethan Poe's life has become a complicated mix of facts, theories, and hypotheses. Things he knows beyond doubt: his parents are divorcing, his older brother Kyle is exhibiting alarming behavior, and his best friend is turning into a spiritual fanatic. Then there are the shifting uncertainties-including his feelings toward his father and his desire to both blend in and stand out in his rural Maine hometown. Most pressing of all, there's his attraction to Max Modine, a boy he wants to know much better than he does.

Despite Ethan's initial reluctance, he gets pulled into a heated and sometimes violent conflict about whether to introduce Intelligent Design into science classrooms. Family and friends are turning against each other, school is a battleground, and Ethan will have to take a stand. Because some facts are irrefutable and some bonds unbreakable, even when they can't be seen. And once Ethan finds the courage to become who he was meant to be, the outcome could be absolutely extraordinary. . .

"A compelling story well worth your time. . .Reardon is an author to watch." -Bart Yates, author of The Brothers Bishop on A Secret Edge

From Publishers Weekly

Jun 27, 2011 – In Reardon's fourth novel (after A Question of Manhood), 16-year-old Ethan Poe fancies himself an "outlier" in smalltown Maine because of his goth wardrobe, his relation to the famous Edgar Allan, and his sexuality: he's gay. His best friend Jorja is goth, too, but also a devout Christian. Ethan's parents have just split up, and his older brother, Kyle, has reacted by diving headfirst into religion and, as the novel begins, trying to remove his "offending right hand." As things progress, Ethan hooks up with Max, a handsome classmate, just as his family is thrust into a townwide debate about including intelligent design in the science curriculum. This sparks a polarizing fight between fundamentalists and the secular citizens that turns quickly violent. Reardon's latest is mesmerizing, drawing readers into Ethan from page one, endowing him and all the characters with great depth, and building a slow-burning tension. Science, spirituality, and smalltown life combine for a rare book that will appeal to young adults and adult readers alike.